Dubai's Meydan racecourse will host the 10th Oil Barons Charity Ball, an annual fund-raiser for the oil and gas industry, on Friday. But it is Houston, in the other half of the world, where many of the oil barons headquarter their operations.
Key facts about Houston:
Airlines that connect with Houston: Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline connect Abu Dhabi and Dubai to the city.
Airport: Named after Bush the Elder, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Iata code: IAH) opened in 1969, although its original name was Houston Intercontinental Airport. It has five terminals, three of which handle international operations.
Airport hotel: Hyatt Place Bush Intercontinental Airport is about 5 kilometres from the Bush airport. Weekend room rates start at US $94, says the hotel's website.
Downtown hotel: Club Quarters is in the central district close to Houston Pavilions, which features office, retail and entertainment facilities. Weekend room rates start at $79, according to the hotel website.
Cost of cab from airport to city centre: About $52, according to World Taximeter.
A conference centre: The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, which opened in 1964, is 32km from George Bush Airport and has been expanded. It now has an exhibit space of 862,000 square feet and convention centre space of 3,400,000 sq ft.
A power restaurant: The Italian restaurant Tony's on Richmond Avenue made it onto Forbes' list of restaurants for power lunches last year. Entrees start at $14 for a chopped salad with salami.
Currency/conversion rate: US $1 = Dh3.67
Main businesses in town: Known for its oil and gas industry, Houston has the highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the US after New York City. Among these are Baker Hughes and ConocoPhillips. The law firm Baker Botts and the defence contractor KBR are also based in Houston.
ssahoo@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
SPECS
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Company%20Profile
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Fixtures
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
FORSPOKEN
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Starfield
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On racial profiling at airports
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
